1904 -- Bob Wicker of the Chicago Cubs pitched 9 1-3...

June 11, 2007

1904 -- Bob Wicker of the Chicago Cubs pitched 9 1-3 hitless innings before Sam Mertes of the New York Giants singled. Wicker won a 1-0, 12-inning one-hitter. 1938 -- Johnny Vander Meer hurled the first of two consecutive no-hitters as the Cincinnati Reds beat the Boston Braves 3-0. 1967 -- The Chicago Cubs hit seven homers and the New York Mets four in the second game of a doubleheader, tying the major league record set by the New York Yankees (six) and Detroit Tigers (five) in 1950. Adolfo Phillips hit four home runs in the doubleheader for Chicago. 1981 -- Following Seattle's 8-2 win over Baltimore, major league players went on strike. 1985 -- Von Hayes became the first player in major league history to hit two home runs in the first inning. Hayes connected twice in a nine-run first, powering the Philadelphia Phillies to a 26-7 victory over the New York Mets. 1990 -- Nolan Ryan pitched the sixth no-hitter of his career, extending his major league record, as the Texas Rangers beat the Oakland Athletics 5-0. Ryan was the first to pitch no-hitters for three teams and, at 43, the oldest to throw one. 1995 -- Mark McGwire hit three home runs in consecutive at-bats and tied the major league record of five homers in consecutive games, leading the Oakland Athletics over the Boston Red Sox 8-1. 1995 -- Lee Smith set a major league record with a save in his 16th consecutive appearance, pitching a scoreless ninth inning to preserve the California Angels' 5-4 victory over Baltimore. Smith broke the mark of 15 straight set by Doug Jones in 1988. 1997 -- Roger Clemens lost for the first time after 11 straight wins to open the season as the Seattle Mariners topped the Toronto Blue Jays 5-1. 2002 -- Jared Sandberg became the 16th AL player to homer twice in an inning, and the third this season, as Tampa Bay beat Los Angeles 11-2. 2003 -- Houston's Roy Oswalt, Pete Munro, Kirk Saarloos, Brad Lidge, Octavio Dotel and Billy Wagner combined for the first no-hitter against the New York Yankees in 45 years, winning 8-0. The sextet set a record for the highest number of pitchers to throw a no-hitter in major league history -- four accomplished the feat twice. Today's birthdays: Jose Reyes 24; Yhency Brazoban 27.